#First Ever Episode of Doctor Who

[myasssaysno]

On a late foggy London night, a police-officer makes his rounds, only to trend down trotters lane. Upon which he hears a faint humming noise, which leads him to the blue gates of a scrapyard. He dares to open them, only to find a blue police box tucked inside. 

Dun. Dun. Duunn. 

That’s it though. We never see him again. He’s completely irrelevant and he doesn’t even die. 

What nonsense is this? 

Episode one of Classic Who

Full explanation and review under the cut...

An Unearthly Child is not a bad episode per say; I suppose its a very dated one; in the sense, not much happens in it but historically, it’s fascinating. 

Don’t get me wrong; entertainment level; Meh; fascination level; Oooh

We’re quickly introduced to our two companions for the series; 

Barbara Wright the history teacher; there to show the Doctor the power of Compassion

And Ian ChesterTON the science teacher; there to show the Doctor the power of Hope

Which I mean is amazing; Doctor Who truly has always been about four things; Science; History; Compassion and Hope. 

Just wonderful. 

Don’t get me wrong; we no longer get anything half as good, as the dynamic that this TARDIS team has; its all there, and the Doctor’s just along for the ride (for majority of it). 

I wish modern who was more like this. No drama. (Well no relationship drama ((Well no love-triangle bullshit)))

That being said, there are questionable moments. Moments that make you go, Ah the Sixties. 

For example; the whole premise of the episode. 

Basically, Barbara Wright is concerned for a student of hers (Susan Foreman) who she considers to be very bright and wants to help her become unstoppable.  And by that I mean, give her more in-depth lessons outside of school; basically a home-schooling advance learning opportunity; just for Susan. 

Only problem; Susan says her grandfather won’t like nor allow it. 

So, Barbara does the logical thing, accepts Susan’s no and moves on with her life, like any good teacher. 

I’m joking; she stalks the girl, I mean naturally. 

She first uses her privilege as the girls teacher to get her address from the school’s office; and then tracks her down to this scrapyard, only to be horrified. 

Well I’m sure Susan’s not trilled either Barbara, but save your judgement, my goodness, she doesn’t come barging into your address and judging your living circumstances. 

I mean in all seriousness, Susan attends school regularly (presumably) and is in no means in a state of distress nor dressed poorly. What I’m trying to say is, Barbara has no reason to presume Susan’s ill-looked after. 

That being said, she turns up in the hopes of speaking with Susan’s grandfather, without Susan’s permission, to convince him of the benefits of tutoring Susan outside of school, and I mean, you couldn’t really get away with this now-a-days. 

Possibly a call, but most teachers would hand them a letter and ask the parent to get in contact if they’re interested. 

But Barbara’s dedicated. Only the episode freely admits, she’s more curious about the very clever, very knowledgeable oddity that Susan Forman is. She knows things she shouldn’t, and doesn’t know things she should. 

I mean, she’s just had a sheltered life, she does come across as a very naïve girl who has been raised around a very intelligent role model. That’s it. So in other words, Barbara’s just curious of this grandfather of hers, and everyone acts like the Doctor was paranoid but he had a right to be. 

Ian on the other hand, freely admits this is suspicious behaviour and tries to get Barbara to admit it. All the way to driving up outside the scrapyard and waiting for Susan to turn up. Yeah, two teachers just chilling, waiting for their student to turn up, like weirdos.  

And everyone questions the Doctor’s behaviour, his hostility but these two, the real weirdos, I’m telling you. 

Anywho...

Each teacher takes turn talking about their experience’s of Susan, and in all honestly they fall a little flat. 

For Barbara; she discuss’ Susan’s humiliation; about currency. And oh, prepare yourself for a short little history lesson. 

Basically, British money made zero sense until 1971.  1 Pound = 20 Shillings. 20 Shillings = 12 Pence 1 Pence = 2 halfpennies or 4 farthings

What is this nonsense? And I struggle with modern British currency, my goodness. 

Now to be a barer of bad news. Doctor Who didn’t actually predict the change in currency (with Susan mistaking presuming Britain had already shifted to the new decimal system) as from 1961; the slow process; taking ten-years; had already been happening. How known this was, I couldn’t say, but talk of switching a more easy currency, like in America, had probably already been happening for years. 

This along with the idea that Doctor Who’s first episode aired the same day President Kennedy got assassinated is a little misinforming, but either way, still a little fascinating quirk. 

Doctor Who Air Date: 23rd Nov 1963 (Sat) Kennedy Death: 22nd Nov (Fri)

Back to the episode;

Susan wrongly presumes Britain are on the decimal system 1 pound = 100 pennies Only to embarrass herself in front of the entire class. 

And that’s the only flashback Barbara contributes. Like come on. Not one thing about her showing off her historical knowledgeable. Because apparently, Susan’s corrected the history book, and I don’t know how she managed that one because surely Barbara would believe the book, over a student but....

Ian gets two flashbacks (blatant sexism)

In all honestly, I can see why. He first shows us Susan being bored of science (which high school student isn’t) but it’s not because she doesn’t understand but because she’d rather be working with active chemicals. (Whoa girl calm down, this is a school, go blow up the scrapyard you live in). 

Basically, remember in science class, when you dipped paper into chemicals to see it change colour (I vaguely remember myself) that has apparently been happening since the sixties, which is a little depressing. 

Then, Ian shows us Susan not understanding how dimensions work. As apparently she can’t work in three-dimensions, and instead works in four which is drumroll please, time. 

Again, the idea either teacher would believe Susan is a little questionable at best, sure she’s coming up with novel ideas, sort of, but she sounds like a rambling mad-man or scientist, not a clever girl. If anything, they’re showing the opposite, which makes more sense. 

There here for the Doctor, he needs to RUN! Quick Doctor. They’re on to you. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking; who’s the big bad of the episode. Who is going to try to kill or trick the companions? Is it Susan. Now while that would make for a brilliant episode, no. Technically, it’s no-one. 

But I have different idea to put across. Because, if anyone in this episode is acting antagonistic, it’s the Doctor. 

Dun. Dun. Duuun. 

Susan arrives home. Enters the scrapyard, and failing to notice or hear her teachers calling out to her. They follow her anyway, and begin exploring the scrapyard, which as you imagine is full of a lot of old junk, nobody wants, and would look at home in a car boot sale. 

It is rather late, after school, but Ian brought a flashlight and also finds the TARDIS hiding beside some steps. He manages to round the entire box, notes its humming and claims it a living being. Which is more than most companions can say. 

At the arrival of the Doctor, both teachers hide behind those steps, as he approaches the box, only to spot them and immediately become suspicious. Which turns into a full blown argument, between Ian and the Doctor over the box, which the Doctor claims a cupboard, and Susan’s disappearance. 

Like these teachers go full on, you’ve abducted her. Um, she willingly entered the scrapyard, you saw her, and um, he wasn’t even in here when she did, because he came after, so, um, good look arguing that one in court. 

After a rather lengthy back and forth, with a lot of condescending comments on the Doctor’s part. Susan opens the TARDIS doors, and Ian attacks him to allow Barbara to rush inside to save Susan. 

Did I say the Doctor’s the bad-guy; whoops; I meant Ian and Barbara; they stuck there noses in where it both wasn’t asked nor needed, and forcefully entered the Doctor’s TARDIS, despite being asked to leave, all because they didn’t like nor understand what’s going on. 

Also, the Doctor drawing attention away from the TARDIS, by admiring junk found in a scrapyard, will never not be funny. (Also, also, did scrapyards have a different meaning in the sixties? Or have I been Americanised beyond hope?)

As episodes go; not as sexist as I feared. I mean there’s this idea that Ian is the man, and he has this role to play (which features throughout the entire series) but its done in a way, that makes you, one, like and trust Ian, and two, not think any less of the other characters. It doesn’t bash on Barbara for being a woman, nor Susan for being a young girl, or even the Doctor for being an old man. It accepts it, even if it takes it a little far, with assigned roles. 

All in all; little underwhelming; quite boring; and um Racist. Yeah, only one comment about the indigenousness people of America not understanding trains, like American’s didn’t think a woman’s womb would explode if she boarded one, and the general lack of POC anything. 

Yeah, I’m afraid the next three episodes are by far the worst episodes of Doctor Who, that I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the old Classic Who, I like historical things, and working out how much society has changed, writing has changed, things like that, and by no means recommend this for someone looking for entertainment. Not that its all boring, there are a few serials (stories spread across multiple episodes) that I would recommend, if some of the episodes weren’t missing but as a general rule. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. 

Part 1 of 4

[why-do-you-need-2-know]

Eventually your favorite fandom will forever be forgotten... except you the Merlin fandom you'll never die out and its kinda concerning.

[itsatorchwoodthing]

torchwood season one

[doctorwhoisadhd]

the unquiet dead (2005) / captain jack harkness (2007)

[casasupernovas]

aa much as i ship tenmartha because they could have been e v e r y t h i n g had the show gone a different direction, my GOSH the doctor could have absolutely destroyed that girl.

[socialistexan]

I have now watched* every. single. episode. of Doctor Who ever made over the course of two and a half months.

Do I regret doing this? No. Did I have a good time and rekindle my enjoyment of the series? Yes. Did I watch some amazing stories that I would not have watched? Yes. Did I gain a new appreciation for every single Doctor, especially the ones who I hadn't watched or had written off before? Oh, yeah, definitely, 7 is now one of my favorite Doctors.

Would I recommend anyone else do this? Absolutely the fuck not, even for people who love the show.

I also now have reviews of every story and I have ratings sorted by: Doctor, season, writer, director, companion, and enemy. My next project is to get this data but into a database so I can sharpen my skills since I am a data analyst for a living.

*or listened to in the case where only audio of the episodes survived

[quietwingsinthesky]

my therapist: you sure seem to be coming back a lot to the way that the timeless child episode skimmed over the doctor being killed over and over again to use them. is there something we need to talk about here.

me: no im normal.

me: but do you think anyone even noticed them changing each time or do you think they did and kept quiet about it because the work being done was too great to lose to protect the timeless child from being used.

my therapist: 🤨

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

FULLY thought the doctor was gonna put rogue's ring on his ring finger and was ready to be like 'doctor you are already MARRIED my guy!?!!?!!'

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

I once read a review of 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' that said because Graham had cancer and Ryan had dyspraxia that meant they both had more depth than a character like Clara. I remember reading that and just being so annoyed because that's not what character depth is. Character depth isn't simply something sad or tragic that happened to the character. It's about revealing more about that character than we initially see. It is about going beyond the surface levels details to find out what lies beneath. That isn't the case with Graham and Ryan because we learn all this stuff about them right away. Those are the surface level details. Clara has depth because we learn more and more about her as the show goes on, begin to see so many different layers to her as she reacts to everything that is thrown at her, from Eleven regenerating into Twelve to the arrival of Danny and his death.

[jantotrash]

I think Jack was the first openly queer character I ever saw on TV??????

At the very least, he was the first positive representation

And that is truly WILD to me

[fulltimesapphic]

Everyone (old widowed white men) want this hot piece of ass (Jessica Fletcher).

[camellcat]

she's so clever with her little winking I love her so much

[detentiontrack]

I think the people who claim doctor who has "gone woke" have never actually watched an episode of doctor who in their entire lives. doctor who has been "woke" before it was even in color

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

ROUND 2 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1970s London to find it has been evacuated because dinosaurs have appeared mysteriously. As the line between friends and enemies wavers, the Doctor soon discovers the dinosaurs are being brought to London via a time machine to further a plan to revert Earth back to a pre-technological "Golden Age"...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Curse of Peladon

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo make a test flight in the TARDIS and arrive on the planet Peladon. Seeking shelter, they enter the citadel of the soon-to-be-crowned King Peladon, where the Doctor is mistaken for a human dignitary summoned to act as chairman of a committee assessing an application by the planet to join the Galactic Federation.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

[fritzmonorail]

Is this my favorite episode? AND IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A ROSE IN IT?!

Just when I was getting worried that this season wasn’t clicking with me they hit me right in the face with this. I’m the type of person who is very emotional. I get attached to characters and stories pretty quickly. And let me tell you I was attached to a lot of people in this episode.

I really liked the production design and the overall story. And I never thought I’d cry over the death of a giant face before this.

This episode is kind of everything I want Doctor Who episode to be. I really liked hearing the doctor talk more about Gallifrey. I’m rooting for him to grow closer to Martha for many reasons if not solely because I know Rose would hate for him to be alone. Speaking as someone who has often been very lonely things will only get much worse if he shuts her out.

[demigodofhoolemere]

I’m very glad we have all these nice photos but I’d give anything to see these beautiful clothes in action!